Frank Darabont Steps Down As Showrunner on THE WALKING DEAD

In an incredibly surprising development, series creator/executive producer/director Frank Darabont has stepped down as showrunner on AMC’s smash hit The Walking Dead. This comes as a huge shock, as Darabont was just present on Friday at the show’s Comic-Con panel and seemed fine. Moreover, the show is currently in the middle of production on season two. There’s speculation that he may be off the show completely, but talks are still ongoing about him staying on in some capacity. Hit the jump for more.

Behind-the-scenes, the show hasn’t been without its fair share of drama. Back in December it was reported that he had fired the show’s writing staff from season one and was planning on hiring freelancers for the second season. He ultimately decided against that course of action, and brought on Glen Mazzara as executive producer and his number two. It’s unclear if Mazzara will now assume showrunning duties.

Needless to say, the show seems to be in a bit of a state of limbo at the moment, though Deadline’s report states that these developments have not affected the ongoing production. I’d be shocked if Darabont doesn’t stay on in at least some capacity, as the show has been his labor of love. Not to mention the fact that season one of The Walking Dead drew ginormous ratings and positive critical reaction. Maybe the stress of producing 13 episodes for the second season as opposed to season one’s 6 got to him? The reports states that Darabont never quite got used to the grueling schedule of TV production having hailed from feature films. Hopefully we’ll know more about the show’s future soon. Season two premieres on AMC October 16th.

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